Detroit Public Schools realized a 62 percent graduation rate in 2010, according to Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb.

And that's good news, as it's the district's highest announced rate since the state implemented new methodology in 2007.

June 2007: 58.42 percent graduation rate, 29.99 percent dropout rate

June 2008: 58.22 percent graduation rate, 27.08 percent dropout rate

June 2009: 59.65 percent graduation rate, 21.20 percent dropout rate

June 2010: 62.27 percent graduation rate, 19.09 percent dropout rate

By comparison, the national rate for students earning a diploma in four years stood at around 68.8 percent as of 2007, according to a report released last summer by Education Week.

"We still have much work to do to reach our goal of 98 percent of students graduating by 2015, but this is a true testament that our reforms are working and that we are delivering on our promise to ensure more students stay in school," Bobb said. "Now, we must redouble our efforts to track every student's progress and deliver the excellent teaching and support needed to ensure every student graduates and is prepared for higher education."

Earlier Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Education released a reports highlighting the disparity between graduation rates and college-preparedness at high schools around the state. As our own Darrell Dawsey pointed out, that discrepancy was particularly glaring in Detroit, where only one public school -- Renaissance High -- managed to adequately prepare 10 percent of graduates for college.

That report, coupled with recent allegations of grade-fixing and social promotion, certainly raises questions about today's news. But at the very least, the students and teachers who have realized success in the district have something to hang on their refrigerators.